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The PEEPSHOW presents HARD (eye)CANDY / Day 1

As the Rio+20 Earth Summit on sustainable development kicks off in Rio de Janeiro next week, in northern Brazil a consortium of companies is building the massive and catastrophic Belo Monte dam complex in the heart of the Amazon rainforest. The Brazilian government's costs-be-damned attitude about the Belo Monte dam and ominous recent changes to the country's Forest Code expose a glaring hypocrisy between a truly "green economy" and the human cost of measures that are destroying the Amazon and its indigenous peoples in Brazil's own backyard.

(An AMAZON-WATCH press-release, 19 June 2012)

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Over 500 indigenous peoples from different parts of the globe will march to the UNCSD (Rio+20) at 11AM today to deliver the Kari-Oca II Declaration.

The Declaration is a result of eight days of discussions on self-determination, sustainable development and indigenous peoples´ rights by indigenous leaders and communities who participated in the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples on Territories, Environment and Development– Kari-Oca II.

The Declaration embodies indigenous peoples´ perspective and analysis on the future indigenous peoples want, and solutions to the current economic and environmental crisis.

(Indigenous Environmental Network PRESS ADVISORY June 21, 2012)

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If the representatives from over 400 indigenous peoples were surprised at being denied entry to the Rio +20 Energy Summit (United Nations Conference On Sustainable Development) meeting-room(s), it paled in comparison to the sight of armed troops who stood at the ready to prevent them from making any contact with the delegates of over 190 countries who had assembled for the unveiling of 'the global plan,' a document entitled - The Future We Want- which aimed to address sustainable global development through greater global environment management, tighter protections to protect the oceans, measures to improve food security, and incentives to promote a 'green economy.' Parts of Rio de Janiero were shut down as over 50,000 international protesters voiced their displeasure at being denied access to the proceedings; dissatisfaction at the manner in which wealthier nations have historically (and yet once again) ratified treaties in favor of themselves; and, concern over an environment that continues to be assaulted by corporate interests and the demands spurred by the needs of 'growth and development,' and the increasing gap between the world's wealthiest nations and the under-developed (poor) countries; as well as the continued inaccessible of natural resources, fresh water and food to millions of persons who live in 3rd world regions of the world.

In order to avoid further embarrassment and negative publicity about the hostile manner in which Brazilian security forces had prevented indigenous peoples from attending the summit, a few persons were finally allowed access to the conference attendees; a copy of their manifesto, entitled the Kari-Oca II Declaration, was presented to the summit chairperson and a representative from the Brazilian government. Whether or not, the stated concerns of the indigenous peoples (of the earth) will be considered, as nations ready to implement changes and suggestions put forth in the summit (or stall yet further!!) is questionable. The Kari-Oca II Declaration in its entirety is linked below.

Peeps, Whether in town or country, evidence of untethered creativity is ample. Sometimes it is found hidden beneath the homiest diner's counter-top or tucked under highway overpasses far beyond the reach of the most distant satellite-city. Or briefly glimpsed from the train window while whizzing towards Union Station or Metropark where bustling commuters intent on: making it in for early meetings/drop off at day-care/pick-up dry-cleaning (or get picked up at the 6:30 happy-hour) can scarcely make out the images precariously situated on roof-top water-towers/derelict apartment's north-facing wall/just above the shop sign for beer, wine, and cigarettes, which to many, seem hallucinatory. Human-beings clustered in tight quarters and hurling through space display puzzling behavior made even more extreme by the fear of: missing a connection/getting a parking ticket/losing one's favorite table/being reprimanded or replaced or rejected/discovering that everyone else had been i…